Post-hole auger



(No Model.)

A. C. OSBORN.

' POST HOLE AUGER.

No. 310,608, a Patented Jan. 13,1885.

INVENTUR 1 WITNESSES M I W3 BY M ATTORNEYS.

* lJNrrn STATES ALEXANDER O. OSBORN, OF OLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

POST-HOLE AUGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.310,608, dated January13, 1885.

Application filed April 4, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER C. OsBORN, of Clarksburg, in the county ofHarrison and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Post-Hole Augers, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention pertains to an improvement in angers or boring devicesfor making holes in the ground for the insertion of posts; and theinvention consists of the combinations of parts and their construction,substantially as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations, at right angles with eachother, of a post-hole auger embodying my invention, the stem of theimplement to which the handle or operating-lever is attached beingbroken away. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line a: in Fig.1.

A is the stem or central shaft of the auger, pointed, as usual, at itslower end, a. B B are separate cuttingblades or half-disks on opp0- sitesides of the stem, and set inclining in reverse direction to formcutters, each of which is the section of a screw-thread on a side of theaxis of the stem opposite to the other, and to allow of proper clearancefor the loosened earth up over them, as also through them at theircenter, where they are formed to leave enings 1). These blades B B,whichare more or less flexible or elastic, are united, by riveting orotherwise, intermediately of their length, to arms 0 0, arranged toconnect above with opposite sides of the stem, and are further attachednear their entering ends by upright braces D D with an upper disk, E,the diameter of which is equal, or thereabout, to the diameter of thescrew-blades B B. This disk E ismade adjustable up and down the stem (Nomodel.)

A, passing through its center, and when adjusted is securely held inposition by means of 5 upper and lower nuts, G G, arranged to fit ascrew-thread, e, on the stem. These nuts, in conjunction with the bracesD D, serve to vary the angles of the cutters or to change the re lationof them at their entering ends; or, in other words, to adjust thecutters to suit different kinds of soil both stiff and loose.Furthermore, in the operation of the auger by turning it until itstops,when it will be closely packed or filled with the loosened earthbetween the disk E and cutters B B, the loosened earth or dirt is heldin the machine, when or after which the anger is withdrawn from thehole, and the disk prevents the dirt from falling back into the hole.

In some cases the pointed end portion of the stem of the bottom of theauger may be in the form of a screw, and may be formed by squaring andtwisting it to make the thread. The cutters B B should be larger thanthe body or frame of the auger and slightly curve upward at their outeredges.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desireto secureby Letters Patent 1. In a post-hole anger, the combination, with thecentral stem, of the separate blades having a fixed and an adjustableconnection with said stem, the fixed connection being secured to saidblades about midway their length, and the adjustable connection beingsecured to said blades at their entering ends or contiguously thereto,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the stem A and cutters B B, of the disk E,braces D D, and the upper and lower nuts, G G, essentially as and forthe purposes herein set forth.

ALEXANDER O. OSBORN,

Witnesses:

O. M. MCKEEHAN, J OHN IV. DUNN.

